This invention relates to animal feeding systems, and more particularly concerns feeder pan assembly apparatus for poultry and like animals.
Among the important parts of modern feeding systems for poultry and like animals are the feeder pans or pan assemblies. These feeder pans receive feed flowing from system conveyors or like mechanisms, and are disposed within a poultry house so as to afford the poultry ready access to the feed they contain. Some of these devices include, in general, a pan for receiving and disposing feed for access by the poultry, and a hood overlying the pan which accepts feed from a conveyor or like delivery device. This hood may store a quantity of feed within it and above the pan for gradual dispensation to the poultry through a gate defined between adjacent surfaces of the pan and hood. An interconnector is provided to attach the hood to the pan.
Usually, the pan is suspended at a position spaced below the hood. Adjustment of this hood-pan relation permits greater or lesser amounts of feed to flow into the pan assembly feeding area. These adjustments may be necessary when raising a flock of growing, maturing poultry. Among such feeder pan assemblies which have met with commercial success is the device described and claimed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,911,868.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an effective, trouble-free, yet inexpensive feeder pan assembly.
A more specific object of the invention is to provide an inexpensive feeder pan assembly having a hood which accommodates a pan interconnector in a way allowing the interconnector and pan to be easily adjusted or reset relative to the hood so as to open and close hood-pan feed passage gates and allow a greater or lesser flow of feed to a feeding area.
Another object of the invention is to provide such a pan assembly wherein feed passage gate adjustment can be accomplished easily and quickly even by inexperienced personnel. A related object is to provide a feeder pan assembly in which this adjustment mechanism is not affected by poultry activity, or by feed or other materials which may be thrown upon the hood and mechanism.
Yet another object is to provide such a device in which the adjustment mechanism is designed to be only slightly stressed, thereby encouraging long pan assembly service life.
A further object is to provide such a feeder pan in which no adjustment mechanism slots need be cut through the hood material, thereby lowering the finished pan assembly cost.
A still further object is to provide a feeder pan assembly in which the interconnector support structure extends only minimally within the pan, thereby eliminating places within the pan which poultry cannot reach and in which food meal can spoil.
Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent upon reading the following detailed description and upon reference to the drawings. Throughout the description, like reference numerals refer to like parts.